Governor.



F. L. KINGSTON GOVERNOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 19. 1916.

Patented Feb. 11, 19151 W @ZWXJ mix FRANK I. KINGSTON, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

GOVERNOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 11, 1919.

Application filed May 19, 1916. Serial No. 98,551.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK L. KINGSTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland in the county of Cuyahoga and State of (dhio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Governors, of

which the following. is a full, clear, and

them), or from the users of the motors permitting them to race to their maximum speed, placing such strain upon the springs that they are broken by the centrifugal action of the weights. So far as I know, nothing has been done to overcome these difiiculties.

It is the object of my invention to economically produce a comparatively simple yet highly efiicient governor that is especially adapted to the class of mechanisms or motors above referred to, and which is very durable, the same being practically indestructible.

More limitedly stated, the object of my invention is to provide a governor involving no springs, and one which is so sturdy and so Well balanced that no harm can ensue from running it at the highest possible speed. A further object is the production of a governor that may be constructed practically entirely of metal stamping, thus ,cheapening its manufacture and insuring accuracy, high quality, and uniformity. In the accompanying drawing I have illustrated a construction wherein the foregoing objects are attained, and while I will proceed .to describe the same in detail, I wish to be understood as not limiting myself to the structural details thereof further than is required by the terms of the annexed claims, and is rendered necessary by the state of the prior art,

in the drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a spring motor of the sort used in phonographs, and in which is incorporated the governor of my invention; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional plan of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1, the same being taken substantially on the line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a sectional detail on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a vertical section through the governor; and Figs. 5 to 9 are perspective views of various elements of the governor.

Describing the invention by the use of reference characters, 1 and 2 represent the top' and bottom, or more generally, the side plates of a motor frame between opposed portions of which extends a post 3.

What I will refer to as the governor shaft 5 has its opposite ends journaled within the side plates 1 and 20f the frame, and intermediate its ends it has a transverse bore through which a pin 6 is inserted, as shown particularly in Figs. 3 and 5. A brake disk 8 having a hub 9 is slidable upon the end of the shaft 5 adjacent the plate 2. A circular plate 10 (Figs. 3 and 7 which constitutes a part of what may be termed a rotor, has a slot 11 extending through its center, that is of a width substantially equal to the diameter of the governor shaft 5, and this slot is bisected by a transverse slot 12, of a width substantially equal to the diameter of the pin 6. The slot 12 is adapted to receive the pin 6 when the circular plate is placed over and about the shaft, the corners of the plate at the intersection of the two slots being adapted to repose closely enough to the governor shaft to prevent any material lateral shifting of the plate upon the shaft. It will be observed that a short slot 13 extends across one end of the slot 11, and this short slot is adapted to receive a pintle 15 which extends through an aperture in the upper end of a link 16 (Figs. 3, 4c and 8), the lower end of such link being pivoted on a pin 18 between cars 19 on the brake disk 8. Now, with the pin 6 occupying the slot 12, and the pintle 15 reposing within the slot 13, a ring 20 is placed upon each side of the circular plate 10, and secured thereto by rivets 21. Thus the rotor iscompleted. The rings 20 are identical, and are notched at 22 or. one side to accommodate the end of the link 16. The ends of the slot 12 being extended be yond the zone of the rings 20, and the slot 13 reposing entirely within such zone, allows these rings to" overhang the slots and piv- Y lique to a perpendicular position with respect to the shaft 5, and, following the principle of centrifugal action, the rotor will tend to assume, and will assume unless resisted, a plane perpendicular to the shaft '5, when said shaft is rotated; and the faster the shaft rotates, the more persistent will be this tendency.

In the embodiment herein illustrated, the governor shaft is driven by a spring motor, the spring 25 being housed within a casing 26, and acting to rotate a gear 27 which.

- through the successive gears 28, 29, 30 and 31, drive a pinion 32 that is fastened to the shaft 5 adjacent the plate 2. This motor constitutes no part of my invention, and

' further detailed description and showing of it is deemed unnecessary, further than to say that the spring 25 may be wound by the application of a crank, key, or other suitable instrument, to the member 33, secured to the shaft 34, which drives, through bevel gears 35 and 36, an arbor to which one end of the spring 25 is secured.

To regulate the speed at which the motor is permitted to run, the brake disk of my governor cooperates with an adjustable brake shoe incorporated in mechanism which will now be described.

Shown as pivoted-at 40, to the post 3, is an L shaped lever 41, one branch 42 of which extends out and over the brake disk 8 and has applied to it a friction brake shoe 43 for engagement with the disk. A screw 44 is threaded through the post 3 and the end of the screw bears against the overturned upper end 45 of the other branch of the lever 41. The screw has a knurled. head 46 whereby it may be conveniently turned.

From what has already been said in regard to the operation of the governor, it is obvious that, as the rotor tends to assume a position perpendicular to the shaft 5, it will draw the brake disk 8 against the friction shoe 43. The amount of friction produced between the brake disk and the shoe 1s dependent upon the power imparted to the shaft 5 and the angularity of the rotor with respect to the shaft; and from these conditions will be determined the speed at which the mechanism will be permitted to run.

Experiments show that a governor of the kind herein disclosed acts to maintain the speed of the motor substantially constant while the spring possesses any appreciable amount of driving power. The rings 20, being cut away at one side to receive the end of the link 16, lightens that side of the rings enough to compensate for the weight of the link and maintain the 'balance of the rotor. I hold it as an important feature of the invention that the rotor should be so balanced; and if a proper balance cannot be obtained from thus notching the rings 20, the rotor may be increased in weight on its diametrically opposite side in, any approved manner.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In mechanisn'i of the character set forth, the combination of a shaft having opposed trunnions, means for driving sa1dshaft, a plate having a slot of a width substantially equal to the diameter of the shaft and a second slot bisecting the first at right angles thereto and of width substantially equal to the diameter of the trunnions of the shaft, said trunmons being adapted to repose \vithinthe second slot, and elements for application to opposed sides of the plate for confining said trunnions within said slot.

2. In mechanism of the character set forth, the combination of a shaft having opposed trunnions, means for rotating said shaft, a disk having a diametrical slot of a width substantially equal to the diameter of the shaft and a second diametrical slot at right angles to the first, and of a width substantially equal to the diameter of the trunnions and adapted to receive said trunnions, and a ring for application to each side of the disk and arranged to overhang the ends of the second slot thereby to retain the trunnions of the shaft within the slot.

3. In mechanism of the character set forth, thecombination .of a shaft having a transverse bore, a pin extending through said bore, a disk having a diametrical slot of a width substantially equal to the diameter of the shaft and a second diametrical slot of a width substantially equal to the diameter of the pin, said pin being adapted to repose within the second slot, a ring for application to each side of the disk and arranged to overlie the ends of the second slot thereby to retain the pin within said slot, andmeans for rotating the shaft.

4. In mechanism of the character set forth, the combination of a shaft having trunnions, means for driving the shaft, a plate having a slot for the reception of the shaft, means pivotally connecting the'p'late to the trunnions whereby the plate may oscillate thereon, the plate having a second slot bisecting one end of the first mentioned slot, a link having an aperture, a pin exwithin the second slot, and means for appliter of the shaft and a second diametrical slot of a width substantially equal to the diameter of the pin, said pin being adapted to repose within the second slot, a ring for application to each side of the disk and arranged to overlie the ends of the second slot thereby to retain the pin within said slot, and means for rotating the shaft.

6. In mechanism of the character set forth, the combination of a shaft having a transverse bore, a pin extending through said bore, a disk having a diametrical slot of a width substantially equal to the diameter of the shaft and having a second diametrical slot at right angles to the first for the reception of the pin, a ring applied to each side of the disk and adapted to overhang the second slot thereby to retain the pin within said slot, the disk having a third slot which bisects the first adjacent one of its ends, the aforesaid rings being notched coincident with the first slot and having portions which overhang the ends of the third, a link having an aperture in one of its ends, a pin extending through said aperture, the ends of said pin reposing within the ends of the third slot, and means for driving the shaft.

7 In mechanism of the character set forth, the combination of a shaft having opposed trunnions, means for driving said shaft, a plate having a slot of a width substantially equal to the diameter of the shaft and a second slot bisecting the first at right angles thereto and of a width substantially equal to the diameter of the trunnions of the shaft, said trunnions being adapted to repose within the second slot, elements for application to opposed sides of the plate for confining said gudgeons within said slot, mechanism for controlling the speed of the shaft, and operative connections between the plate and said mechanism whereby said mechanism is rendered effective to retard the speed of the shaft as the plate swings toward a plane erpendicular to the shaft.

8. In mechanism of the character set forth, the combination of a shaft having a transverse bore, a pin extending through said bore, a disk having a diametrical slot of a width substantially equal to the dia1neter of the shaft and a second diametrical slot of a width substantially equal to the diameter of the pin, said pin being adapted to repose within the second slot, a ring for application to each side of the disk and arranged to overlie the ends of the second slot thereby to retain the pin within said slot, means for rotating the shaft, mechanism for controlling the speed of the shaft, and operative connections between the disk and mechanism whereby said mechanism is rendered efiective to retard the speed of the shaft as the disk moves toward a plane perpendicular to the shaft.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aflix my signature.

FRANK L. KINGSTON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

